Blog

Let me begin by expressing how honored I was that Carol Schaub, our 50-year Golden Girl, chose me to receive the Shining Star Award. I have worn the locket with pride, and now it's my turn to pass this award to one of my sisters who has shown stellar service to our chorus. As I considered the many amazing women in our chorus, I focused my search on the qualities of heart, service, and harmony.

With regard to "heart," I imagined the color BLUE ....as in true blue, and all that conveys. This member has been true blue to the purpose and meaning of Sweet Adeline harmony -- always present, always prepared, and always kind, as Elaine always urges us to be.

With regard to "service," I thought about how she has done "whatever it takes" to keep us functioning because she has done any and all jobs necessary to keep our chorus singing, especially during our orphaned year (2011-2012), when we were without a Director. During her 30 years in this chorus, she has held every position, including the Management Team for 22 of those years, Team Leader, Music Team, Section Leader, Performance Manager, Travel Coordinator, Custodian of the Storage Closet and Costumes, Grant Coordinator, and Representative for the Brevard Cultural Arts, and currently as Management Team Secretary as well as liaison of our present rehearsal hall, where she arrives early to set up the site with tables and our equipment, including the crucial fan for the Director. Whew!

This member has always been musical, singing in masses at a young age and school choirs, even singing with the George Washington College "Traveling Troubadors" on a USO tour to Greenland in l959.

However, she had never heard of a cappella singing until she became a Sweet Adeline in 1980, with the Merrimac Valley Chorus in Andover, MA, where she sang for three years. Then in l983, when her husband had three choices of job locations, she stipulated that the community of choice had to have a Sweet Adelines chapter. And so they moved to Melbourne, where she began her 30 years singing with Platinum Coast Chorus under the first Director Bobbi Gordon, then Gail Essner, Diane Zoll, Lisa Lupo, and now Elaine Haugan.

Although she continues to do "whatever it takes" from year-to-year, her main passion is the music of barbershop harmony. She likes to write and arrange music, including our " Welcome Song," as well as adapting current music in our repertoire to accommodate chorus special needs -- usually to give the basses a break!

Most recently she was awarded the distinctive, hard-won Director's praise of "being able to sell any song" to the audience.

It is my honor and pleasure to pass the Shining Star Award on to --- NANCY HENDERSON.